Gerald R. Ford Library

INTRODUCTION

Melvin R. Laird, Jr. was born in Omaha, Nebraska, but grew up in the town of Marshfield in central Wisconsin where his family moved when he was a year old. His family had deep roots in Wisconsin politics and business, with both of his parents and his maternal grandfather all holding elective office. After his father’s death in 1946, Laird ran for his father’s seat in the state senate, becoming the youngest senator in Wisconsin history. In November 1952, the voters of Wisconsin’s 7^th congressional district (covering ten counties in the middle of the state) elected him to the U. S. House of Representatives. He was re-elected eight times, serving until January 1969.

A very energetic congressman, Laird became known for his work on both domestic and defense issues. His long-time service on the Defense subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee throughout most of the 1950s and 1960s allowed him to develop an extraordinary expertise on defense issues. Laird supported a strong defense posture and was frequently critical of Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara's management and decision making practices and the Johnson administration’s handling of the Vietnam War. During much of his service on the Defense Appropriations Subcomittee, he sat side-by-side with Representative Gerald Ford and they became close life-long friends.

Laird’s position on the House Appropriations subcommittee handling health matters allowed him to play a key congressional role on many medical and health issues. He often teamed up with liberal Democrat John Fogarty of Rhode Island to pass key legislation on education or health matters. Their impact on the National Institutes of Health was pivotal in a vast expansion of health research programs and facilities. They also sponsored the buildup of the National Library of Medicine, the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, the National Environmental Center in North Carolina, and the nation’s eight National Cancer Centers. Laird received many awards for his work on health matters, including the Albert Lasker Medical Research Award and the American Public Health Association award for leadership.

Over time, Laird became one of the most influential Republicans in the House. As Chairman of the Platform Committee for the 1964 Republican National Convention, he played a key role in the development of the party platform. In December 1964, Laird was one of the “Young Turks” who engineered the election of Gerald Ford as Republican Minority Leader of the House. He then succeeded Ford as chairman of the House Republican Conference, an organization consisting of all of the Republican members of the House. In this position, he created task forces to study issues and formulate legislative proposals. He and Ford worked closely to develop Republican alternatives to the programs and policies of the Johnson administration.

Laird also authored or edited three books during these years: A House Divided (1962), The Conservative Papers (1964), and The Republican Papers (1968). These further elevated his prominence in Republican circles. Indeed, by 1968, the National Committee for an Effective Congress termed Laird the “most powerful Republican in the House.”

Soon after the 1968 presidential election, president-elect Richard M. Nixon nominated Laird to become Secretary of Defense. Laird was the first member of Congress to occupy that position. Although not a close confidant of the President, Laird was an influential Secretary. He achieved a smooth association with the military leadership by restoring some of the responsibilities they had lost during the 1960s. His excellent relations with Congress enabled him to gain approval for many of his programs and budget requests. One of his accomplishments was the institution of the draft lottery to make the draft more fair. He later oversaw the ending of the draft and the establishment of the All-Volunteer Force. Other accomplishments included the withdrawal of all combat personnel from Vietnam and establishing the Total Force Concept that made the National Guard and Reserve Forces an integral part of U.S. total military manpower planning. In spite of the divisive Vietnam War and the unfolding Watergate affair, which threatened to discredit the entire Nixon administration, Laird retired with his reputation intact at the beginning of the second Nixon term in January 1973.

Several years after he left office, the members of the Washington Press Corps who covered national security and defense issues voted Laird the best Secretary of Defense in the history of the Department. They cited his leadership in arms control, improved procurement policy, promotion of women (for the first time) to flag rank, and the fact that Laird never lost a vote on Capitol Hill.

Laird left the Department of Defense early in 1973 to pursue opportunities in the private sector, but less than six months later President Nixon asked him to join the White House staff as Counsellor to the President for Domestic Affairs. The unraveling of the Watergate affair had already led to the loss of several top White House aides, so President Nixon needed to replace them with highly respected individuals who were not implicated in the scandal. Laird agreed to help out, but only on a short term basis. He worked mainly on legislative matters and domestic issues. Laird strongly lobbied President Nixon to appoint Gerald Ford to the vacancy created by Vice President Spiro Agnew’s resignation in October 1973.

One of Laird’s key aides throughout much of his tenure in government was William J. Baroody, Jr. Baroody joined the Laird congressional staff in 1961 and assisted with a variety of public affairs, writing, legislative, and other tasks. During Laird’s service as Secretary of Defense, Baroody continued in a similar role, but also participated in the Department’s long-range planning. When Laird left the government in early 1973, Baroody transferred to the Nixon White House, assuming many of Charles Colson’s former roles in public affairs and liaison with interest groups. When Laird joined the White House staff six months later, Baroody again functioned as his deputy. Baroody remained in the White House after Laird’s departure, serving until 1977.

In February 1974, Laird left the White House to become senior counselor for national and international affairs for Reader's Digest, a position he was to hold for many years. During this time after leaving government service, he also served on the boards of many companies and was active in many charitable causes.

Laird established the Laird Youth Leadership Foundation in 1964. This organization still provides college scholarships and holds biennial Youth Leadership Day Conferences to bring together Wisconsin high school students and policy experts to discuss public policy issues. Another long-standing activity is his work with and support of the Marshfield Clinic and the associated Marshfield Medical Research Foundation in his hometown. The Clinic was, in 2006, one of the largest private multispecialty group practices in the U.S.

Collection Provenance

The core of the Laird Papers is material that Mr. Laird created and retained without interruption until donating them to the Ford Library in installments beginning in 2001. In addition, however, the Laird Papers include extensive files accumulated by William J. Baroody, Jr., while he worked on Mr. Laird’s staff in the 1960s and 1970s. These latter materials were in Mr. Baroody’s physical custody at the time of his death in 1996. In 1997, son William J. Baroody III transferred these materials to Mr. Laird, who later donated them to the Ford Library as part of the Laird Papers. At approximately the same time, the younger Mr. Baroody donated to the Ford Library his late father’s papers as a senior adviser to President Ford and then as head of the American Enterprise Institute. These comprise a separate collection, the William J. Baroody, Jr., Papers. The division of these materials was imperfect, owing to their exceptional volume and complexity. Some errant files can be found in each.

Scope and Content of the Laird Papers

The collection contains extensive documentation on many aspects of Mr. Laird’s government service and post-government career. There are about 20 linear feet and 24 microfilms dating from Laird’s congressional years, nearly 60 linear feet and 66 microfilms from the Department of Defense period, 13.5 linear feet and part of a scrapbook from the Nixon White House, and about 32 linear feet and four scrapbooks from the post-government period.

Ford Library archivists arranged the collection in increments, as each major accession was received. They did this to expedite release of the collection. This decision, plus the inherent complexity of the collection, is the basis for the overall order of file series comprising the collection.

Regarding Mr. Laird’s earliest years, the collection contains a small amount of material on his service in the Navy in World War II and later in the Naval Reserve, the microfilm of an early scrapbook, and some information among the interviews and research materials for a Laird memoir (see below for more about this book).

Microfilm of speeches, press releases, voting records in Congress, weekly columns, newsletters, and scrapbooks document Mr. Laird’s congressional career from 1953-1969. The Ford Library does not have the originals of these documents. They appear to be part of the Laird Papers at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin.

The bulk of material in paper form begins in 1961, when William Baroody, Jr., joined Mr. Laird’s congressional staff. Much of this material from 1961 to 1964 focuses on special writing projects – Laird books, articles, speeches, and press releases. Extensive materials from 1964 document Laird’s work as chairman of the Republican Party platform committee and Baroody’s issues-research for Senator Barry Goldwater’s presidential campaign.

Materials from 1965 to 1968 are much broader in scope, although continuing to include public affairs and writing projects. The change comes with Laird’s election as chairman of the House Republican Conference and his emergence as one of the key Republican spokesmen on defense and national security matters. More of the papers concern defense issues (defense budget, Vietnam War, etc.), domestic issues (especially revenue sharing and health issues), the House Republican Conference, and various Republican Party organizations.

Materials from the Department of Defense years (1969-73) are quite extensive. Portions are open to research, but very many documents still bear national security classification markings and await declassification review (March 2005). Ford Library staff have digitized these classified documents and referred the digital copies to reviewers in Washington. As material becomes declassified through either systematic review or mandatory declassification review requests, Library staff open them.

Particularly important from the Defense Department period is a large series known as the “Historical Project Files.” It contains thousands of documents on many leading national security issues. A special team of aides photocopied them from Secretary Laird’s official files in the closing months of his service. The aides arranged the copied documents by topic and thereunder chronologically. They numbered each document and created “calendars” that give a full citation for every document under each topic. The Historical Project File will, as parts become declassified, become a major resource for information on the key issues that Secretary Laird faced during his Cabinet service.

Various other Defense-era subject files concern Laird’s transition from Congress to the Department of Defense, departmental administration, Laird and Baroody public activities, relations with Congress, long-range planning for the Department, and national security issues facing the Nixon administration. Some series contain Department staff meeting minutes, Laird’s speeches and congressional testimony, and briefing memoranda for daily press briefings.

These Defense series are not always complete. Many chronologically-arranged sequences cover only for the first two or three years and are missing the last year or so (some of the missing material appears in a separate Ford Library collection – the William J. Baroody Papers). The collection contains microfilms covering the Department of Defense years, but these are copies of material that appears in other series.

The Nixon White House series concern Baroody’s work as a presidential assistant and also Laird’s brief role as Counsellor to the President. In addition to materials concerning liaison with interest groups (which gradually became Baroody’s primary responsibility), the papers from early 1973 concern his work as a successor to Charles Colson in heading up the White House “Attack Group,” comprised of staff members who met daily to plan how to deal with Nixon White House enemies. His files on this topic contain material not only from 1973, but also some folders turned over to him by Colson dating back to 1969. Another well-documented role from early 1973 involved what was known as the “Battle of the Budget” (trying to organize support for President Nixon’s budget proposals).

Baroody served as Laird’s deputy during the period when both were on the White House staff, so the collection contains numerous memoranda between the two. The collection also documents many of Laird’s speeches and public events. After Laird’s departure from the White House staff, one of Baroody’s jobs was to organize support for President Nixon in his battle to avoid impeachment. The collection contains the ribbon copies (stamped “The President has seen”) of progress reports to the President on this “Impeachment Support Program”.

Materials from the post-government period include correspondence, trips and events files, organizations files, and Laird interviews, articles, and statements. Many files reflect Laird’s work for the Reader’s Digest. Although no longer a government official, as a former Secretary of Defense he was frequently asked for his opinion on national security and defense matters and participated in conferences with other former Secretaries. In addition he worked with the American Enterprise Institute on studies of various issues.

Two post-government series contain interviews, chapter drafts, and miscellaneous background and research materials for a planned Laird memoir that remains in progress. Journalist and author Dale Van Atta conducted the interviews with Secretary Laird and his friends and colleagues and has assisted with the memoir. These two series will not be available for research until after the book is published.

Finally, the collection also contains small and fragmentary series concerning William Baroody’s later work in the Ford White House and the American Enterprise Institute. Researchers will find much more extensive files from these time periods in the William J. Baroody Papers or the William J. Baroody Files – two other Ford Library collections.

Related Materials (June 2006):

The most closely related collection in the Ford Library is the William J. Baroody Papers. Parts of that collection concern his work in the Laird congressional office, the Department of Defense and the Nixon and Ford White House. The Library also holds the William J. Baroody Files, which came to the Library in 1977 as part of the Ford presidential papers and solely concerns Baroody’s work in the Ford White House.

Researchers interested in Mr. Laird’s congressional years will find related materials on the House Republican leadership and many other topics in the Gerald Ford Congressional Papers and the Robert Hartmann Papers. The Robert Peabody Interviews focus on the House Republican leadership in the 1960s.

An important, complementary, collection of Melvin Laird papers can be found at the State Historical Society of Wisconsin’s Stevens Point Area Research Center. That collection focuses almost exclusively on Laird’s early life and congressional years, although it does include a small quantity of papers from the time that he served as Secretary of Defense (these are mostly personal rather than official in nature). A copy of the finding aid to this collection is in the Melvin Laird folder of the Ford Library Vertical File. Some series from the Stevens Point collection are available on microfilm in the Ford Library collection.

Another collection of Laird materials, primarily scrapbooks and memorabilia, can be found at the Melvin R. Laird Center, a world-class medical research and education facility of the Marshfield Clinic, in Laird’s hometown of Marshfield, Wisconsin.

LIST OF SERIES

Accession 2000-034

Congressional Papers (Boxes A1- A49):

Baroody Subject File

Baroody 1964 Republican Platform File

Baroody 1964 Presidential Campaign File

Baroody Research File

Baroody’s File on Laird Books

Department of Defense Papers (Boxes A50 – A128):

Baroody Subject File

Laird Public Statements (Bound)

Baroody Name File

News Items of Special Interest

Nixon White House Papers (Boxes A128 - A154):

Baroody Subject File

Baroody Name File

Baroody Agency File

Baroody’s White House Staff Memoranda

Ford White House Papers (Boxes A155 – A157):

Baroody Subject File

American Enterprise Institute Papers (Boxes A158 – A161):

Baroody Subject File

Accession 2000-045

Department of Defense Papers (Boxes B1 – B3):

Baroody Planning Files

Accession 2001-020

Department of Defense Papers (Boxes C1 – C42) :

Historical Project Files

Accessions 2003-021, 2003-032, and 2004-012

Navy and Naval Reserve Papers (Box D1)

Congressional Papers (Boxes D1 – D2):

Subject File

Department of Defense Papers (Boxes D2 – D19):

Transition File

Subject File

Staff Meeting Minutes

Nixon White House Papers (Boxes D20 – D27):

Subject File

Speeches and Events File

Chronological File

Post-Government Papers (Boxes D27 – D100):

Subject File

Interviews, Articles, Profiles, and Statements File

Trips and Events Files

Organizations File

Correspondence File

American Enterprise Institute Files

Laird Biography Subject File

Laird Biography Interview File

Microfilms (Boxes D100 – D111):

Unclassified

Classified

Scrapbooks (Boxes D112 – D115)

Accessions 2005-10, 2005-61, 2006-036, 2006-045, and 2006-047

These accessions have been received since the initial processing of the collection was completed and are not available for research yet. They consist primarily of appointment calendars and drafts of his memoirs (not yet published).

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Accession 2000-NLF-034

Boxes A1-A19 Congressional Papers: Baroody Subject File, (1958) 1961-1968. (7.4 linear feet)

Correspondence, memoranda, draft magazine articles, reports, notes, press releases, speeches, speech drafts, manuals, pamphlets, and clippings. Defense and national security matters (especially the defense budget and the Vietnam War) are a major topic, but other folders concern Laird speeches and articles, the 1968 presidential campaign (especially the Nelson Rockefeller campaign for the Republican nomination), the House Republican Conference, other Republican Party organizations, and issues being discussed by Congress. Some additional materials from this time period appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A19-A27 Congressional Papers: Baroody 1964 Republican Platform File, 1964. (3.3 linear feet)

Correspondence, statements, biographies, platform drafts, lists, proceedings transcripts, reports, working papers, and press releases. Laird served as chairman of the platform committee and Baroody assisted him. The file concerns all aspects of the development of the platform -- organizing the committee, conducting hearings, developing a draft platform, and finalizing it. Some additional materials on this topic appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A27-A32 Congressional Papers: Baroody 1964 Presidential Campaign File, 1964. (2.1 linear feet)

Campaign materials, press releases, briefing books, and voting records. Some material relates to the campaigns by Nelson Rockefeller and William Scranton to obtain the Republican nomination, but the bulk of the series concerns the campaign of Barry Goldwater. Baroody took a leave of absence from Laird’s staff to work on the Goldwater campaign during the general election. Much of the series consists of research folders on specific issues documenting Goldwater’s past views and actions. Some additional materials on this topic appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A33-A39 Congressional Papers: Baroody Research File, (1962) 1965-1968. (2.8 linear feet)

Speeches, press releases, newsletters, and publications. Background files on politics and issues (ranging from Africa and Agriculture to Urban-Suburban and Vietnam). The largest file concerns one of Laird’s key legislative proposals – revenue sharing. Some additional research materials from this time period appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A40-A49 Congressional Papers: Baroody File on Laird Books, 1960-1968. (4.0 linear feet)

Book drafts, correspondence with publishers and authors of individual chapters, and galley proofs. Laird published three books in this time period – A House Divided, Conservative Papers, and Republican Papers. The first was a statement of Laird’s views. The other two were compilations of papers by various authors presenting alternatives to the policies of President Lyndon Johnson’s administration. Some additional materials on these books appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged by book and thereunder alphabetically by subject. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A50-A104 Department of Defense Papers: Baroody Subject File, 1969-1973. (22.0 linear feet)

Memoranda, correspondence, testimony, speeches, briefing papers, transcripts, press releases, reports, notes, desk calendars, publications, and newspaper clippings. Important topics include: anti-ballistic missiles, military aircraft, Nixon Doctrine, Baroody and Laird correspondence and speeches, Blue Ribbon Defense Panel, defense budget, George McGovern’s defense posture in the 1972 presidential campaign; congressional relations, annual defense report, Vietnam War and the Vietnamization program, NATO, personnel matters, public affairs activities and plans, SALT, transition from Congress to the Department, Baroody trips to military installations, and all volunteer armed forces. Some additional materials from this time period appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged alphabetically by topic. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A105-A114 Department of Defense Papers: Laird Public Statements (Bound), 1969-1971. (4.0 linear feet)

Bound volumes containing Laird’s speeches, remarks, and testimony during most of his tenure as Secretary of Defense. The series does not include volumes for the year 1972, but some scattered speeches and testimony for that year appear in other series.

Arranged chronologically. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A115-A117 Department of Defense Papers: Baroody Name File, 1969-1973. (1.2 linear feet)

Correspondence and attachments from or about specific individuals.

Arranged alphabetically by name. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A118-A128 Department of Defense Papers: News Items of Special Interest, 1969-1972. (4.2 linear feet)

Memoranda prepared for the Secretary of Defense by the Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs containing brief notes about articles on defense and national security matters and the Assistant Secretary’s comments on the stories.

Arranged chronologically. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A128-A142 Nixon White House Papers: Baroody Subject File, (1969) 1973-1974. (5.8 linear feet)

Memoranda to Melvin Laird and Richard Nixon, correspondence, reports, notes, schedule proposals, speech materials, and newspaper clippings. The materials document White House liaison with interest groups, the role of the White House “Attack Group” (including early Nixon administration documents inherited from Charles Colson), the 1973 “Battle of the Budget”, Baroody’s work as an assistant to White House Counsellor Mel Laird, the White House “Impeachment Support Program”, and economic and energy matters. Some additional materials from this time period appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A143-A144 Nixon White House Papers: Baroody Name File, 1973-1974. (0.7 linear feet)

Correspondence and memoranda from or about specific individuals.

Arranged alphabetically by name. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A144-A145 Nixon White House Papers: Baroody Agency File, 1973-1974. (0.5 linear feet)

Correspondence and memoranda from or about specific Federal government agencies.

Arranged alphabetically by agency name. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A146-A154 Nixon White House Papers: Baroody White House Staff Memoranda, 1973-1974. (3.6 linear feet)

Memoranda to and from other members of the White House staff. The memos cover many aspects of the work of the second Nixon administration, although the focus is on the areas in which Baroody was most involved – especially liaison with interest groups. The largest files are for Ken Clawson, H.R. Haldeman, Dick Howard, Jerry Jones, Bruce Kehrli, Dave Parker, and Dave Wimer. Some additional White House staff memoranda appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged alphabetically by name of the staff member and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A155-A157 Ford White House Papers: Baroody Subject File, 1974-1976. (1.2 linear feet)

Correspondence, lists, briefing books, and transcripts. This is a fragmentary series – most of Baroody’s documents from this time period appear in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection. The bulk of the materials in this fragment concern two of the White House Conferences on Domestic and Economic Affairs – South Florida (February 25, 1975) and Milwaukee (August 25, 1975).

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View the container list for this series.

Boxes A158-A161 American Enterprise Institute Papers: Baroody Subject File, 1977-1984. (1.6 linear feet)

Correspondence, speeches, lists, reports, and financial records. This is a fragmentary series on various aspects of the administration of the AEI. The bulk of his material on the AEI appears in the William J. Baroody Papers, another Ford Library collection.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View the container list for this series.

Accession 2000-NLF-045

Boxes B1-B3 Department of Defense Papers: Baroody Planning File, 1969-1972 (3.0 linear feet)

Memoranda, speeches, lists, and briefing materials concerning long-range planning in the Department of Defense. The file includes various projections, estimates, and recommendations along with planning guidance, policy guidance, budget plans, strategy papers (including nuclear strategy), and net assessments. Specific topics include the Vietnam War, the 1970 mid-year report to the President, and the work of the Defense Program Review Committee.

Arranged alphabetically by subject. View the container list for this series.

(Note: This entire series is closed pending declassification, although a declassification review of specific documents may be requested through the Library’s Mandatory Review procedures.)

Accession 2001-NLF-020

Boxes C1-C42 Department of Defense Papers: Historical Project Files, 1969-1972 (16.8 linear feet)

Memoranda, correspondence, talking papers, briefing papers, and lists. This series was copied from Laird’s official files by a special team of staff members late in his term as Secretary of Defense in order to document the key issues he handled. Topics include: all-volunteer force, Cambodia, chemical/biological warfare research, drug abuse in the military, EC-121 (a Navy aircraft shot down by North Korea), equal opportunity and race relations, F-15 procurement, Indo-China, Japan, Korea, Laos, MIRV (including A-X/Close Air Support), MK-48 Torpedo, Middle East and Israel, NATO, POW/MIA, People’s Republic of China, Procurement, SALT, Safeguard ABM, Shipbuilding, Strategy of Realistic Deterrence, Taking Stock of the Department, Thailand, and Vietnam (especially the Vietnam War).

Arranged alphabetically by topic and chronologically thereunder, with itemized document lists (“calendars”) at the start of each topic. View the container list for this series.

(Note: Almost the entire series is closed pending declassification, although some document calendars are declassified thus permitting researchers to request a declassification review of specific documents through the Library’s Mandatory Review procedures.)

Accessions 2003-NLF-021, 2003-NLF-032, and 2004-NLF-012

Box D1 Navy and Naval Reserve Papers, 1943-1969 (0.1 linear feet)

Memoranda and correspondence concerning Laird’s service on active duty and in the reserves.

Arranged alphabetically by topic and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D1-D2 Congressional Papers: Subject File, 1960-1967 (0.4 linear feet)

Correspondence, speeches, reports, press releases, clippings, and publications. This fragmentary file concerns Laird’s work as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Wisconsin. Key topics include the Republican White Paper on the Vietnam War and Laird’s Youth Leadership Workshop held on December 2, 1965.

Arranged alphabetically by topic and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D2-D5 Department of Defense Papers: Transition File, (1953) 1968-1970 (1.2 linear feet)

Memoranda, correspondence, reports, transcripts, resumes, publications, and lists. The series contains materials concerning Laird’s confirmation as Secretary of Defense and his transition from Congress to that office. A major focus is Department of Defense personnel matters.

Arranged alphabetically by topic and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D5-D12 Department of Defense Papers: Subject File, 1969-1973 (3.1 linear feet)

Memoranda, correspondence, notes, reports, publications, and lists. This fragmentary series concerns Laird’s work as Secretary of Defense. The folders headed “Secretary of Defense Correspondence” contain key letters that he received (including ones from President Richard Nixon and National Security Adviser Henry Kissinger) concerning the Vietnam War and other national security topics. Other materials concern Vietnam War, the management of the Department of Defense, and the historical project conducted in 1972 to gather the key documents from Laird’s service with the Department.

Arranged alphabetically by topic and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D13-D19 Department of Defense Papers: Staff Meeting Minutes, 1969-1973 (2.8 linear feet)

Case files for weekly staff meetings containing minutes and background material. The materials concern a wide variety of national security and defense issues such as the Vietnam War, NATO, the defense budget, weapons procurement, legislation, and the operation of the Department of Defense.

Arranged chronologically by the date of the meeting. View the container list for this series.

(Note: This entire series is closed pending declassification, although a declassification review of specific documents may be requested through the Library’s Mandatory Review procedures.)

Boxes D20-D22 Nixon White House Papers: Subject File, 1973-1974 (1.0 linear foot)

Memoranda, correspondence, testimony, press releases, transcripts, and telephone call logs. Topics include the war in Southeast Asia (Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam), investigations of Joint Chiefs of Staff/National Security Council security leaks, and Laird’s press conferences.

Arranged alphabetically by topic and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D22-D24 Nixon White House Papers: Speeches and Events File, 1973-1974 (1.0 linear foot)

Speeches, correspondence, schedules, and lists. The series concerns Laird’s speeches and public appearances. Most of the speeches touch on domestic affairs and legislation (especially economic and energy matters), although occasional ones concern Watergate.

Arranged chronologically by date of the speech or appearance. View the container list for this series.

(Note: Access to material in this series requires advance consultation with an archivist. The purpose of this consultation is to identify specific folders of interest to you and place them, as needed, in work queues for privacy, declassification, and related reviews. To learn more, contact an archivist or e-mail ford.library@nara.gov)

Boxes D25-D27 Nixon White House Papers: Chronological File, 1973-1974 (0.9 linear feet)

Copies of letters from Laird to persons outside the White House (government officials, the media, and the public) mostly concerning domestic affairs, energy, economics, and legislation.

Arranged chronologically. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D27-D36 Post-Government Papers: Subject File, (1972) 1974-2003 (3.5 linear feet)

Correspondence, transcripts, notes, press releases, publications, and clippings. The material concerns a variety of topics in which Laird was involved after leaving the government. Major topics include: Assessment Review Panel for US Missions in the Soviet Union, Ernest Fitzgerald investigation, Korean influence investigation, boards of directors of several companies, SALT treaties, State Historical Society of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin, and the USS Maddox.

Arranged alphabetically by subject and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D36-D49 Post-Government Papers: Interviews, Articles, Profiles, and Statements File, 1974-2003 (5.4 linear feet)

Speeches, speech drafts, article drafts, correspondence, transcripts, notes, publications, and clippings. The series concerns Laird’s speeches, articles, interviews, and statements along with articles and profiles about Laird. Although many of Laird’s speeches and articles concern national security and defense issues, others concern international relations, energy policy, and other matters.

Arranged chronologically. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D50-D58 Post-Government Papers: Trips and Events File, 1976-2002 (3.5 linear feet)

Correspondence, lists, programs, press releases, and clippings. The series concerns Laird’s trips and business, political, and personal events he attended.

Arranged chronologically by dates of the trip or event. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D59-D79 Post-Government Papers: Organizations File, (1971) 1974-2003 (8.3 linear feet)

Correspondence, reports, and publications. The series concerns organizations with which Laird was involved as a member or board member. These organizations range from social clubs and country clubs to groups that were studying or advocating specific government policies.

Arranged alphabetically. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D80-D86 Post-Government Papers: Correspondence File, (1970) 1974-2003 (2.8 linear feet)

Primarily correspondence with occasional speeches and clippings. The series concerns Laird’s interactions with former government colleagues, Department of Defense officials, Cabinet members, Gerald R. Ford, Henry Kissinger, the Postmaster General, the White House, and DeWitt and Lila Wallace of the Readers’ Digest.

Arranged alphabetically by name and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D87-D89 Post-Government Papers: American Enterprise Institute Files, 1974-1997 (1.2 linear feet)

Correspondence, publications, and press releases. The series concerns Laird’s interactions with the American Enterprise Institute, especially study projects on energy policy, national security, SALT, and trade policy.

Arranged alphabetically by topic and chronologically thereunder. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D90-D95 Post-Government Papers: Laird Biography Subject File, 1993-2004 (2.4 linear feet)

(Note: This series is unprocessed and blanket closed pending completion and publication of a planned memoir.

Boxes D96-D100 Post-Government Papers: Laird Biography Interview File, 1994-2001 (2.0 linear feet)

(Note: This series is unprocessed and blanket closed pending completion and publication of a planned memoir.

Boxes D101-D108 Microfilms (Unclassified), (1941) 1953-1973 (168 cartridges and 7 reels)

Microfilm copies of selected files documenting the various public aspects of Laird’s congressional career and his service as Secretary of Defense. Included for the congressional years are copies of his speeches, press releases, voting record in Congress, weekly columns, newsletters, scrapbooks, and publications. From his Department of Defense years, the series includes speeches and public statements, daily press briefings, daily calendars, scrapbooks, and several reports and lists. The scrapbooks include some material predating Mr. Laird’s career in Congress.

With two exceptions, the Ford Library does not have the originals. These two exceptions are the Department of Defense speeches and public statements (1969-1971 only) in boxes A105-A114 and the daily press briefings (“News Items of Special Interest”) in boxes A118-A128. The Laird Papers held by the State Historical Society of Wisconsin appear to contain many other originals.

In addition to the 85 cartridges and 7 reels of positive microfilm, the Ford Library has negative microfilm for all but two cartridges.

Arranged numerically by cartridge number. View the container list for this series.

Boxes D109-D111 Microfilms (Classified), 1969-1972 (56 cartridges)

Microfilm copies of many of the most significant files concerning Laird’s service as Secretary of Defense, including his staff meeting minutes and special documents on various issues that were copied to help document his time as Secretary of Defense. The originals of the documents on these films appear in other series in this collection – especially in boxes C1-C43 and D12-D19 (although some scattered folders from other boxes are included).

In addition to the 28 cartridges of positive microfilm, the Ford Library has negative microfilms of each cartridge.

Arranged numerically by cartridge number. View the container list for this series.

(Note: This entire series is closed pending declassification of the original documents.)

Boxes D112-D115 Scrapbooks, 1973-2002 (4 volumes)

Newspaper clippings, magazine articles, and programs for events. The material concerns Laird and his activities while serving briefly as Counsellor to President Richard Nixon and during his career after leaving government service.

Arranged chronologically. View the container list for this series.

Accessions 2005-10, 2005-61, 2006-036, 2006-045, and 2006-047

Gerald R. Ford Library

1000 Beal Avenue, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2114

Scope and Content of the Laird Papers